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The Orville
The Orville is an American television series airing on Fox. It centers around the adventures of Captain Ed Mercer and his crew as they explore space, battle enemies, and deal with their personal lives. While many, including The Orville's own cast, consider the show to be genre-less,Scott Grimes at a table interview in 2017. most consider the series to be allegorical science fiction with comedic elements, intended to be "a return to classical storytelling" where stories parody or criticize real-world events.Brannon Braga in The World of the Orville by Jeff Bond. Titan Books. 2018. Pg. 11. The inability to fit neatly into a particular genre frustrated television critics, many of whom said the show did not know whether it wanted to be a comedy or science fiction. Prior to launch, the show was billed as utopian science fiction and an homage to past science fiction television shows, particularly the series Star Trek and the Twilight Zone."Brannon Braga, David A. Goodman, Jason Clark THE ORVILLE Interview Comic Con HD". Seat42F. YouTube. July 23, 2017. Unlike the majority of those shows, The Orville often relies upon comedic elements to create a lighthearted, inviting atmosphere; and the show's main characters are less "paragons of virtue" as they are portrayals of normal individuals in a highly-advanced age of space exploration. The series was renewed for a second season on November 2, 2017. On June 28, 2018, the show won the Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Television Series.Lovett, Jamie. "'The Orville' Wins Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Television Series". Comicbook. June 30, 2018. The Universe of The Orville in the year 2418.]] 400 years in the future, humanity has evolved to the point of space exploration, and has developed intricate relationships with other space-faring species. Along with other highly advanced civilizations, Earth created a federated Planetary Union for the purposes of exploration, scientific development, colonization of new worlds, and defense. By the year 2419, the Union is a rapidly expanding power in the galaxy, and boasts a fleet of 3,000 ships and numerous colony planets. In the early 25th century, the Union divides the Milky Way galaxy into quadrants, though the Union has colonized only one of them.In the original script, the Union colonized two quadrants. Union ships chart space as they explore, so the edge of explored space is synonymous with the frontier, the edge of charted space.Mapping is conducted as the Orville travels in the episodes If the Stars Should Appear and Mad Idolatry. Strange, uncontacted worlds rest on the frontier, a mysterious territory left to Exploratory-class vessels and intrepid opportunists like miners from the Vega Mining Consortium.Episode 5: Pria On the edge of the frontier of charted space are the star J-2837 and the Dorahl bioship, an ancient colony transport from a faraway, empty pocket of space.Episode 4: If the Stars Should Appear Humanity regards its recent past as a "dark time,"Gordon Malloy calls the 21st century a "dark time" in Episode 7: Majority Rule one driven by greed, consumerism, and religion-inspired hatred for each other.Kelly Grayson notes that the era when people desired wealth vanished with the invention of matter synthesis. Episode 11: New Dimensions Member species of the Union gradually lost their religiosity as they progressed in technological development. The invention of matter synthesis changed the way people viewed wealth. Old media like reality television that glorified ignorance and other vices are relics of that darker time.Episode 2: Command Performance The future is seen as filled with possibilities and mystery. In November, 2419, the crew of the [[USS Orville|USS Orville]] caught a glimpse of one possible version of the 29th century.Ed Mercer: "As long as the wormhole exists, the quantum potentiality is open. Many sets of future events are possible. But, if we destroy it, we choose a path." Episode 5: Pria Humanity has invented teleportation and a new kind of tractor beam, and its spacecraft by then are so advanced that the Orville's technology is archaic. Navigation through a dark matter storm—considered impossible—becomes a simple matter of logistics. However, Captain Ed Mercer orders his crew to destroy a wormhole to that century, which fundamentally alters the course of history, and it is no longer known if that vision of the future still exists.Episode 5: Pria Species The Union is comprised of at least four member species: Humans, Xelayans, Moclans and Retepsians,Episode 9: Cupid's Dagger and possibly many more. All Union species boast similar levels of technology, and work together to achieve common goals. However, not all Union species share the same values. The Moclans are highly interested in war, and their primary industry is the manufacture of advanced weaponry.Episode 3: About a Girl The Xelayans, despite their tremendous physical strength, loathe conflict and praise scientific advancement and the arts.Episode 10: Firestorm , a Krill school teacher.]] The primary antagonist of the Union is the Krill.Episode 1: Old WoundsEpisode 6: Krill The Krill view all other life as soulless and condemned to be destroyed by their god, Avis. Thus the Krill are in a nearly perpetual state of conflict with other species. Currently, the Union actively avoids an official declaration of war with the Krill.Admiral Ozawa: "And if we went to war, they'd see it as a holy crusade, which means it could last decades." Episode 6: Krill There are at least two species with levels of technology far surpassing that of other space-faring civilizations: the Kaylon and the Calivon. The Kaylon are an android species capable of enduring millions of years,Episode 12: Mad Idolatry and currently contemplate joining the Union. The Calivon are a small humanoid species who view any species with less-advanced technology as inherently less valuable, on par with a Human's beloved pet dog or cat.Episode 2: Command Performance Additionally, the species of the multi-phasic planet is assumed to have now surpassed the Union's level of technology. At the boundary of Union territory lay the Bruidians and Navarians. Both species are in a state of peace with the Union, but are openly hostile to each other. The Navarian-Bruidian conflict lasted many years, but a truce was declared in early 2420. Colonization .]] Space-faring civilizations are highly interested in colonizing uninhabited worlds. The Planetary Union operates colonies to mine valuable resources, for scientific research, and for demic diffusion of agriculture.John LaMarr says he grew up on a farming colony, which means that people settled a planet simply to farm. Episode 11: New Dimensions One notable colony is Epsilon 2, which houses the Epsilon Science Station. The Union established the Station as a world for scientists to be free of the pressure to produce results. Union colonies had weak defenses and are highly vulnerable to attack, especially from the Krill. The Krill believe the colonists of other species lay an unjustified claim to a planet's resources, and the Krill actively raid the colonies and kill the inhabitants. Even the Station of Epsilon 2 was raided in September, 2419. Economy and Resources Union members, including Earth, have entered a post-scarcity economy, where most resources are no longer hoarded and money is a thing of the past. Commander Kelly Grayson explains that money "became obsolete with the invention of matter synthesis." However, she is careful to note that vices such as greed and ambition have not vanished: "The predominant currency became reputation. The only thing that changed was how we quantify wealth. People still want to be rich, only now rich means being the best at what you do."Episode 11: New Dimensions Food and matter are generated from stock material through matter synthesis. Food Synthesizers and Matter Synthesizers helped usher the Union into its post-economy although items that cannot be synthesized, such as unique goods, continue to be valuable even in the distant future.Note that in the 29th century, an unidentified Benzian antiques collector bartered with Pria Lavesque for the [[USS Orville|USS Orville]]. Episode 5: Pria Some resources are mined, especially dysonium, the fuel source needed for faster-than-light travel.Episode 5: PriaEpisode 8: Into the Fold Presumably, dysonium is mined because it cannot be synthesized in an energy-efficient manner, and it remains a highly prized commodity. The Union operates at least two mining colonies on Kastra 4 and Chara 3, and permits the Vega Mining Consortium to mine on frontier planets and celestial bodies.Episode 5: Pria Non-Union species seem to continue vestiges of money. For examples, the Horbalak are notorious for stealing valuable supplies and re-selling them to other species, and the Vega Mining Consortium negotiates for mining rights on non-Union planets.Episode 5: Pria Development , who also plays Captain Ed Mercer, presented a script of ''Old Wounds'' to Fox in April, 2016. He took a lead role in virtually all departments of production.]] Prior to development, Seth MacFarlane became interested in an episodic science fiction television series much like Star Trek of the 1960s through early 2000s. The interest was a long-dormant passion of MacFarlane's - and director Jonathan Frakes later said that MacFarlane had dreamed of creating a space odyssey from the time he was nine years old. "When I was kid, the 90s were sort of a hey-day for thoughtful sci-fi," he later recalled at the 2017 Fox Upfront presentation of the show. "Everything that we were fed was utopian and aspirational, and now all we're getting is The Hunger Games.""Seth MacFarlane Talks New Comedy 'Orville' | Access Hollywood". Access Hollywood. May 17, 2017. After matriculation from the Rhode Island School of Design, MacFarlane moved to Hollywood with the goal of one day resurrecting aspirational science fiction."Seth MacFarlane (Creator), Adrianne Palicki (Kelly Grayson) discuss The Orville at SDCC '17". Lindsey. Aug. 13, 2017. At least as early as 2011, MacFarlane expressed interest in creating a new Star Trek ''series: "I'd love to see that franchise revived for television in the way that it was in the 1990s: very thoughtful, smartly written stories that transcend the science fiction audience. I don't know who would give me the keys to that car."Alston, Kwaku. "Seth MacFarlane Secretly Wants 'Family Guy' to End; Relaunch 'Star Trek' for TV". ''The Hollywood Reporter. Oct. 12, 2011. After finishing Ted 2 in 2015, he approached CBS to restart Star Trek as a television series. "Hey, you know," he recalled pitching. "If nobody’s doing anything with the Star Trek franchise for TV, I’d love to take a crack at it."Kain, Erik. "Interview: Seth MacFarlane On The Orville's Unique Tone, 'Star Trek' Roots". Forbes. Sept. 26, 2017. The studio passed. Though MacFarlane's desire never came into being, his interest in science fiction television matured. For several years, MacFarlane spoke off-and-on with Brannon Braga, a producer on the Star Trek shows'' The Next Generation and ''Voyager, and David A. Goodman, a veteran of Enterprise, about creating a new show that reproduced the "Trek" style of storytelling and progressive philosophy;Bond, Jeff. The World of the Orville. Titan Books. 2018. Pg. 11.Bond, Jeff. The World of the Orville. Titan Books. 2018. Pg. 8. a show that "celebrates human advancement and achievement, and intellectual evolution."Seth MacFarlane in "Seth MacFarlane Discusses “The Orville,” “Star Trek,” and the Struggle to Make Science Fiction Funny" by Manu Saadia. The New Yorker. Sept. 9, 2017. As modern Trek films moved in a darker, dystopian direction, it allowed a new show to produce lighthearted, prospective science fiction.Seth MacFarlane: If you look at the Iron Man franchise, at a certain point, James Bond decided to do something alternative to what James Bond had traditionally done, and it opened the window for somebody else to sort of step in. I feel like that’s sort of what Iron Man did. That Iron Man sort of said, 'Hey, you know, if James Bond is doing something new at this point, why don’t we do James Bond?' In many ways, that’s how I feel about the type of science fiction in this show. Star Trek has chosen to go along a different path or try something different than what they’ve done before, which is great. But it’s also left a wide, open space for the kind of episodic science fiction that they used to do, and I still have a huge appetite for that. I feel like a lot of people, a lot of fans do as well. Erik Kain, "Interview: Seth MacFarlane On The Orville's Unique Tone, 'Star Trek' Roots", Forbes (Sept. 16, 2017). Even at this very nascent period, years before production, MacFarlane had thought of several distinct concepts that became The Orville: * Two divorcees named Ed and Kelly who are forced to work together,"The Orville Fan Podcast w/ Brannon Braga (08)". Planetary Union Network. Nov. 5, 2017. * An all-male Moclan species, * An android with a superiority complex (what became Isaac), and * A religious extremist species that regards all other life as inferior (what became the Krill).Pascale, Anthony. "Interview: David A. Goodman On ‘The Orville’ As Sci-Fi Gateway And How ‘Futurama’ Landed ‘Enterprise’ Job". TrekMovie.com. Oct. 23, 2017. Ideally, the different character arcs would be set in a show that blended comedy and drama similar to the 1970s show M*A*S*H ''and Albert Brooks' 1991 film ''Defending Your Life.''In fact, MacFarlane later said that ''Defending Your Life had a "profound influence" on him and that he actively sought to recreate the balance of comedy and drama for The Orville. "Seth Macfarlane Google Questions answers". ThePatrickShow. May 18, 2018. Early development worked extensively with MacFarlane from early on to produce The Orville.]]MacFarlane began working on an initial script for an unnamed show in March, 2016. He was reading David McCullough's biography The Wright Brothers at the time and was moved by his description of Orville Wright as the "lesser" of the pair. "My God," he thought to himself, "What a perfect name for our spaceship.""Seth Macfarlane Google Questions answers". ThePatrickShow. May 18, 2018. He pitched The Orville to Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu, but turned them down after they demanded to release all episodes at once rather than episode-by-episode.Seth MacFarlane in "Seth MacFarlane Discusses “The Orville,” “Star Trek,” and the Struggle to Make Science Fiction Funny" by Manu Saadia. The New Yorker. Sept. 9, 2017. MacFarlane turned to network television and, by April, Fox had picked up his idea for 13 episodes with a possible backorder of 13 more,"SDCC2017 The Orville, EP's David. A Goodman, Jason Clark, & Brannon Braga Interview". FanboyNation. July 25, 2017. originally set some time after the year 2318.Caron, Nathalie. "CHAD L. COLEMAN JOINS SETH MACFARLANE'S SPACE-SET COMEDY SERIES ORVILLE". SyFy Wire. April 3, 2017.An article announcing Bruce Broughton would compose for the show reflects the old date. "Bruce Broughton Scoring Fox’s ‘Orville’". Film Music Reporter. April 13, 2017. The network was eager to try a science fiction comedy-drama hybrid after the financial success of the movie Guardians of the Galaxy, and was intrigued by MacFarlane's proposal to return to episodic stories.Seth MacFarlane at "Seth MacFarlane and behind-the-scenes creative team: "The Orville" | Talks at Google". Talks at Google. Nov. 16, 2017. MacFarlane sprung the good news on Goodman and Braga suddenly: Last March, I'm having a conversation with Seth, he's saying, "I'm thinking of writing this script, sort of sci-fi with comedy." I said that's good. April: "I wrote that script and Fox picked it up for 13 episodes." So that's how it came together."THE ORVILLE Exclusive Seth MacFarlane & Cast Interviews - #SDCC 2017". JoBlo TV Show Trailers. July 24, 2017. He quickly wrote a second script (probably Command Performance or If the Stars Should Appear) and Goodman helped him with a third (what became About a Girl). When he completed About a Girl's script, MacFarlane enlisted Braga and Goodman as Executive Producers and Writers, and assembled a writing staff of Cherry Chevapravatdumrong, Wellesley Wild, Liz Heldens, and André Bormanis, which Goodman later described as a team of "half comedy writers and half drama writers." Braga elaborates: "There can be no doubt we are paying tribute to the Star Trek ethos – and others such as The Twilight Zone ethos – but we don’t just want to rip shit off."Pascale, Anthony. "Interview: Brannon Braga On How ‘The Orville’ Pays Tribute To Star Trek While Setting A New Course". Trekmovie.com. Sept. 17, 2017. In early drafting, the staff proposed to change the Orville to a ragtag ship or its crew to a cadre of mediocre workers, but MacFarlane quickly shot that down. He insisted the show reflect real life: Orville's crewmembers were skilled professionals who happen to have personal problems much like everyday professionals deal with their personal lives. was hired early as the show's wardrobe designer.]] While the writing staff developed new scripts, MacFarlane began expanding the team to include other production roles, enlisting the people who would become the heads of various departments: Jon Favreau was signed to direct the pilot episode, Stephen J. Lineweaver as production designer, Marvin V. Rush as cinematographer, Natasha Francis as the visual effects producer, Luke McDonald as visual effects supervisor, Howard Berger as makeup artist, and Joseph Porro as wardrobe designer.Bond, Jeff. The World of the Orville. Titan Books. 2018. Pg. 11. Nearly all of them had worked on Star Trek in the 1990s or with MacFarlane on projects like Family Guy. '' MacFarlane micromanaged nearly every department from early on. Porro described the process: "This is how The Orville works: I am not the costume designer; Seth is the costume designer. The same is true with production design, special effects, music, scripts, a lot of the directing.""The Orville Fan Podcast w/ Joseph A. Porro (13)". ''Planetary Union Network. Dec. 20, 2017. Writing recalled the creation of the show: "Last March, I'm having a conversation with Seth, he's saying, 'I'm thinking of writing this script, sort of sci-fi with comedy.' I said that's good. April: 'I wrote that script and Fox picked it up for 13 episodes.' So that's how it came together."]] The initial stages of writing began in March, 2016 by MacFarlane and a working script for the pilot was completed was finished at some point by April of that year. Filming would not take place until 2017, which meant that the writers had unusual flexibility to tweak and perfect the scripts until filming began. "I think I’ve done more actual draft writing on the show than I ever had on the animated shows [like Family Guy]," MacFarlane reflected in September, 2017. "Here we had all 13 drafts written before we even started shooting. I was able to go off and write about seven or eight of them. That was a real joy."Kain, Erik. "Interview: Seth MacFarlane On The Orville's Unique Tone, 'Star Trek' Roots". Forbes. Sept. 26, 2017. The reason for the early writing dates was strategic. MacFarlane wanted to be actively involved in the writing process but, because he plays Ed Mercer, knew he could not be present when filming."Seth MacFarlane and behind-the-scenes creative team: "The Orville" | Talks at Google". Talks at Google. Nov. 16, 2017. The writing staff continued to forge scripts during filming and post-production, finishing the scripts of four episodes of Season 2 before November, when the show was renewed by Fox for a second season. Stories were written around Ed and Kelly's tumultuous professional and romantic relationships, which quickly became an "emotional epicenter" for the writers.Wigler, Josh. "'The Orville' Producers Break Down Series Premiere: "This Is a New Genre"". Hollywood Reporter. Sept. 10, 2018. Goodman described the writing process behind each episode as starting from the question "What are the dramatic elements?," writing the episode, and only then peppering the script with humor.David A. Goodman at "Seth MacFarlane and behind-the-scenes creative team: "The Orville" | Talks at Google". Talks at Google. Nov. 16, 2017. All scripts are written in advance of filming and writing rooms "shut down" once shooting begins.Tomashoff, Craig. "Scribes on 'Handmaid's Tale,' 'Westworld' and 12 More Shows Reveal Secrets From the Writers Room". The Hollywood Reporter. June 15, 2018. While the writing staff was initially recruited to be half comedy writers and half drama writers, by Season 2, the ratio became closer to 30:70 as producers valued drama over comedy. When asked about how he invents the names of characters from alien worlds, MacFarlane said that the names have no real meaning but that he randomly types letters on his keyboard. "If I'm looking for an alien name I go like this," MacFarlane said, while closing his eyes and pretending to type blindly on his keboard. "And try to make something of the jumble of letters that come up on the screen. There's no art to it.""Seth MacFarlane and Adrianne Palicki". The Talk. Nov. 30, 2017. Braga has said that the writing team actively resists technobabble, using nonsense words that sound specialized to advance the story.Pascale, Anthony. "Interview: Brannon Braga On How ‘The Orville’ Pays Tribute To Star Trek While Setting A New Course". Trekmovie.com. Sept. 17, 2017. Writers created unique languages for each world visited by the Orville, the most complex of them is likely "Krillain," the language of the Krill. Numerous Krill writings may be found on the walls of the Krill chapel and an entire page of the Anhkana, the Krill holy text. Production joined the set to direct its pilot and remain as a consultant.]] For more information on the production of seasons one and two, see main articles: Season 1; Season 2. With many episode scripts written, the larger Orville crew began to take the writers' ideas and turn them into sets, props, costumes, and more. Preparatory meetings were held with department heads that the crew called 'long lead' meetings, "It was a time for department heads to discuss design and solve creative challenges within an individual episode and for us, as a team to generate solutions," Producer Jason Clark later recalled.Bond, Jeff. The World of the Orville. Titan Books. 2018. Pg. 9. According to Braga, the universe of The Orville is not completely mapped out. Rather, details are developed as each episode is written. "Finely detailed specifics are one of those things where we don’t have everything figured out. Very much like other shows I have done, the backstory is invented along the way." Writers frequently modified the script during later stages of production, making minor tweaks to the script and fleshing out ideas, and using material to write new episodes. By November, 2017, writers had completed 16 scripts. In a table interview on July 23, 2017, between producers Clark and Goodman, Clark explained that the show is episodic yet strives to maintain strong character memory, where character storytelling runs across the entire season or seasons. Goodman continued the thought by contrasting The Orville's storytelling process against classic sci-fi like Star Trek: "The Seth MacFarlane plan means that the interaction of these characters is original. You haven't seen this kind of interaction between characters in this kind of show before, and that's what makes this show really special."Brannon Braga, David A. Goodman, Jason Clark THE ORVILLE Interview Comic Con HD". Seat42F. YouTube. July 23, 2017. Casting Some roles were written with particular actors and actresses in mind while others were written open to audition, such as Science Officer Isaac."SDCC2017 The Orville, EP's David. A Goodman, Jason Clark, & Brannon Braga Interview". FanboyNation. July 25, 2017. During the first cast meeting, MacFarlane outlined his vision for the characters: "This is a show with an ensemble. I may be the captain, but I am not the star of the show. You may find some episodes where you are actually the star of the show, but you may also find some episodes where I’m probably giving you free money."DesJardins, Jordan. "NYCC 2017: What’s Up Doc? Penny Johnson Jerald Talks ‘The Orville’". ScienceFiction.com. Oct. 13, 2017. Filming For more information on filming, see the sub-section Production of specific episodes. Filming for the first season began on March 27, 2017, and ended on August 23. According to Penny Johnson Jerald (Claire Finn), the entire cast fell silent when they stepped onto the massive set of the Orville for the first time.Carsey-Wolf Center. "UCSB Script to Screen: 2017 Comic Con - The Orville". Vimeo. July 22, 2018. The pilot Old Wounds aired only several weeks later on September 10. Editing of the episodes continued at least through November 20, 2017, when Goodman and MacFarlane admitted that they were still editing the final episode, Mad Idolatry."Brannon Braga & The Orville Cast Full interview 2017 Panel NYC convention". NYC ComicCon. Nov. 20, 2017. According to Palicki, during filming, the cast follows a schedule of Monday through Friday, and then enjoys dinner together on Saturdays.Radish, Christina. "‘The Orville’: Adrianne Palicki on the Incredible Sets and the Hopeful Side of Sci-Fi". Collider. Oct. 5, 2017. Animation and Modelling , an entirely CGI character, quickly became an expensive process that forced writers to limit the number of scenes in which he appears.]] MacFarlane insisted on utilizing physical models of spaceships as much as possible. "There is still something artificial and cartoonish about CGI," MacFarlane remarked.Special video clip played at "Seth MacFarlane and behind-the-scenes creative team: "The Orville" | Talks at Google". Talks at Google. Nov. 16, 2017. Production relied upon an in-house team of artists and Halon Entertainment to construct actual models of the [[USS Orville|USS Orville]] and other vessels. However, space battles and certain effects like explosions were too difficult or expensive to reproduce in real life, and CGI was used for more challenging shots. Make-Up, Costumes and Wardrobe As soon as Howard Berger was recruited for make-up department head and visual make-up effects artist in 2016, he envisioned a highly creative make-up team that created highly technical and complex aliens. According to Berger, MacFarlane was unaware this was possible, expecting instead simple nose- and forehead-pieces seen in Star Trek. In late November, Berger turned his wife and two male co-workers into Krill and presented her to MacFarlane. "Dude, this is fucking unbelievable," he said. "Are we going to do this every week?" Berger replied, "No, we are going to do this every single day.""PLANETARY UNION NETWORK: EPISODE 20". Planetary Union Network. June 17, 2018. Over the course of a year, visual effects artists created roughly 5,000 prosthetic pieces for characters. Items were first drawn by Berger for approval from MacFarlane; and then sculpted in clay to form a mold, which allowed the team to fashion synthetic prosthetic. Bortus was especially challenging, taking five months to create.Howard Berger at "Seth MacFarlane and behind-the-scenes creative team: "The Orville" | Talks at Google". Talks at Google. Nov. 16, 2017. Science consultant André Bormanis later reflected on the creative process of MacFarlane and Berger: Seth did a lot of work and brainstorming with Howard Berger, our brilliant makeup designer/artist. Seth had very clear ideas about how the alien species on the show should look, and since he's also an artist, he's very good at visualizing his concepts. He never wanted the look of an alien to be intentionally funny. The idea was always to make our aliens look believable, to have a plausible biological reality.''Mahon, Chris. "Aliens and AI: André Bormanis Explores the Science Behind 'The Orville'". ''Outer Place. Sept. 20, 2017. By the middle of August, Berger's team made over 40 different alien species who live on the ship.Miller, Bruce R. "Ready for launch: 'The Orville' gets set to blast off". Sioux City Journal. Aug. 18, 2018. Porro observed that MacFarlane was highly interested in particular aspects of costume design: "The thing he really cares about is the uniforms, the badges, the ranking. We went through 50-60 uniform designs," later adding that MacFarlane took a keen interest in the costumes of the Krill and Moclans, "but for the really crazy aliens, he just lets me do them.""The Orville Fan Podcast w/ Joseph A. Porro (13)". Planetary Union Network. Dec. 20, 2017. The demands were even higher for the uniforms of the Planetary Union. Porro went through over 100 designs before MacFarlane was satisfied.Wyckoff, Anna. "The Orville". Costume Designers Guild. Oct. 10, 2017. 's and Pria Lavesque's above.]] Costumes were tailored to match the architecture of an alien's world; others were designed as a "hat-tip" to the uniforms of Star Trek.Radish, Christina. "‘The Orville’: Adrianne Palicki on the Incredible Sets and the Hopeful Side of Sci-Fi". Collider. Oct. 5, 2017. Some costumes were half mechanical and the other half prosthetic and makeup. For example, the costume of Ock'or is in fact a bear suit with an alien head; its enormous mouth is operated by a cable. Kanoot is also mechanical: opening and closing the eyes of his costume by internal cables.Bond, Jeff. The World of the Orville. Titan Books. 2018. Pg. 133. For authenticity, the wardrobe department worked with high-tech fabrics rather than traditional fabrics like wool. Pieces were fashioned in China and then more accurately tailored by an in-house costume department. Tailoring the costumes was especially stressful. From the time the clothes arrived from China, staff had only eight days to create every outfit."The Orville Fan Podcast w/ Joseph A. Porro (13)". Planetary Union Network. Dec. 20, 2017.Joseph Porro at "Seth MacFarlane and behind-the-scenes creative team: "The Orville" | Talks at Google". Talks at Google. Nov. 16, 2017. Because The Orville features 30-40 new background characters each episode, costume turnover was extremely high. For single-episode alien creatures like the Calivon, after each episode, the costumes were destroyed."The Orville Fan Podcast w/ Joseph A. Porro (13)". Planetary Union Network. Dec. 20, 2017. The artists fit costumes and apply hair and make-up on actors in a rented studio trailer called "The Pegasus."@hoops511. "The Pegasus is ready and open for business on THE ORVILLE SEASON 2! Enjoy it Tami Lane @tamilynnlane & Maxine Morris @maxhair706 and the rest of the makeup and hair crew on the show. And I am sure the actors will dig it for sure!! The lap of luxury! @theorville #pegasus #larrywilliams #greattrailer #fun #teamwork #makeup #hair #cast #actors #season2". Instagram. Feb. 21, 2018. Application of the prosthetic pieces and make-up is an hours-long process. For example, turning Macon into Bortus took about four hours, which was gradually whittled down to 90 minutes as the artists became more experienced. For Sage, it took between two-to-three hours to become Alara Kitan.""Orville" Comic Con 2017 panel-like interview". YouTube. July 23, 2017. Music , Joel McNeely, Andrew Cottee (above, left), and John Debney. The four would later win the IMFCA award for television score for their work in Season 1.]] The Orville leadership decided early on to insist on thematically composed music performed live in studio to give the show a movie-like feel.Burlingame, Jon. "Seth MacFarlane’s ‘The Orville’ Gets Movie-Style Scoring From Emmy-Winning Composers". Variety. Sept. 7, 2017. Music is scored by four separate composers, Joel McNeely, John Debney, Bruce Broughton, and Andrew Cottee, and performed by a 75-piece orchestra, one of the largest in Fox's television history. The show's theme song was written by Broughton, who was given the freedom by MacFarlane to simply compose a dramatic work and conduct the orchestra, with no other contractual obligations.Bond, Jeff. The World of the Orville. Titan Books. 2018. Pg. 15. At MacFarlane's request, Broughton composed the theme music based on the music the show Lost in SpaceThe Orville Fan Podcast w/ Bruce Broughton (07). Planetary Union Network. Oct. 30, 2017. and to feel "a little bit like a march." Shortly after the show's premier, MacFarlane remarked: We scored it like a movie. I was thrilled with how many people caught that in the pilot on Twitter, so we get a lot of comments about the score, which is always very gratifying. We really put as much into that as we do into the effects.''Kain, Erik. "Interview: Seth MacFarlane On The Orville's Unique Tone, 'Star Trek' Roots". ''Forbes. Sept. 26, 2017. Composition of an episode's score takes roughly three weeks to complete,"I believe each score takes roughly 3 weeks for the composer to write". MacFarlane, Seth. Twitter. Oct. 12, 2017. but recording the live orchestra takes only three days."Seth Meyers Explains to Seth MacFarlane Why People Resent Him". Late Night with Seth Meyers. Sept. 8, 2017. For the pilot episode, MacFarlane returned to Broughton. The composer had only composed for feature-length film, and he later recalled the challenge of writing for episodic television: There were some scenes that were obviously lighthearted and I tried to more or less ignore that and focus on the drama ... The last thing I wanted to do was step on any comedic lines or timing, and this seemed like a good way to do that. Preparing to air As late as early 2017, most of the crew remained tight-lipped about the show, but Fox began to promote it as primarily a comedy. Fox aired a promotional video in May, which clashed with the show's producers' vision of a drama laced with comedic elements. The disagreement came to a head at the first public unveiling of The Orville at the Fox Upfront presentation on May 16. In Seth MacFarlane's first public comment he stated only that The Orville "is not Family Guy ''in space, it's kind of its own show.""Seth MacFarlane Announces New Show: It's 'Kind of Its Own Beast'". ''Inside Edition. May 16, 2017. Minutes later adding that "show probably has more in common with Star Trek than Futurama. It's interesting because the show is being promoted leaning on the comedy, and we like the promo a lot. I think that people will be surprised that we're digging a little deeper.""Seth MacFarlane's latest offering". Associated Press. May 16, 2018. In a longer conversation with Access Hollywood, he said that while the show cannot be defined by a particular genre, the writers aimed first for thoughtful science fiction, and that Fox inaccurately cast the show as comedy-driven.MacFarlane's comments were echoed by many members of the cast, especially the producers. For example, in early November of that year, Brannon Braga said: I'm very encouraged to hear that [[Planetary Union Network]] and others have embraced the dramatic elements of the show, because the way the show is being marketed - and Fox did a great job, but they kind of made it look like it was a satire and wall-to-wall comedy, and it's not. Would the audience accept an episode like ''Into the Fold, which is largely dramatic?'' See "The Orville Fan Podcast w/ Brannon Braga (08)", Planetary Union Network (Nov. 5, 2017). After the Fox Upfront presentation, MacFarlane and others returned to production of the show until July. Summer 2017 Building up to the show's premiere, Fox, the cast, and the crew worked to generate enthusiasm, but on July 11, Deadline broke the news that famed actress Charlize Theron would guest star.Caulfield, AJ. "Charlize Theron to guest star in Seth MacFarlane's The Orville". Looper. July 11, 2017. Theron's appearance was supposed to be kept tightly under wraps, but the crew decided to confirm the rumor the day before San Diego Comic Con.Petski, Denise. "‘The Orville’: Charlize Theron Confirmed To Guest Star In Seth MacFarlane’s Fox Series". Deadline. July 21, 2017. Fox scheduled the show's premiere to air after Sunday night football, a tremendous lead-in that Palicki called "the best night in television.""How Seth MacFarlane Got Charlize Theron To Be On 'The Orville' | SDCC 2017 | Entertainment Weekly". Entertainment Weekly. July 26, 2017. Hopes were high that the show would be a strong ratings success and potentially last for years."THE ORVILLE Seth MacFarlane, Adrianne Palicki, Scott Grimes, Halston Sage & Penny Jerald interview". bigfanboy. San Diego Comic Con With eleven episodes completed, the main cast and executive producers appeared at the San Diego Comic Con on July 22 for panel and round robin interviews."SDCC 2017: The Orville - Adrianne Palicki, Seth McFarlane". Whedonopolis Videos. ''July 26, 2017. It marked the first time the cast discussed particulars of the show's story, promising an allegorical show that highlights clashes of culture and different moral values,"How Seth MacFarlane Got Charlize Theron To Be On 'The Orville' | SDCC 2017 | Entertainment Weekly". ''Entertainment Weekly. July 26, 2017. and none commented on the news of Theron's guest appearance aside from acknowledge her presence."'The Orville' is a Dream Project for Seth MacFarlane | Comic-Con 2017 | MTV". MTV. July 23, 2017. When Entertainment Weekly asked about her upcoming appearance, MacFarlane interrupted, "I know. You guys leaked it; you tell me what happens. You got that one scoop, now get the rest of it.""How Seth MacFarlane Got Charlize Theron To Be On 'The Orville' | SDCC 2017 | Entertainment Weekly". Entertainment Weekly. July 26, 2017. The Comic Con was the first time actors introduced their characters to the public,For Seth MacFarlane introducing Ed Mercer and Adrianne Palicki introducing Kelly Grayson, see "SDCC 2017: The Orville - Adrianne Palicki, Seth McFarlane", Whedonopolis Vidoes (July 26, 2017).For Peter Macon introducing Bortus, Mark Jackson introducing Isaac, and Chad L. Coleman introducing Klyden, see "SDCC 2017: The Orville - Peter Macon, Mark Jackson, Chad L Coleman", Whedonopolis Video (''July 26, 2017). For Halston Sage introducing Alara and Penny Jerald Johnson introducing Claire, see "SDCC 2017: The Orville - Halston Sage, Penny Johnson Jerald", ''Whedonopolis Videos (''July 26, 2017). For J. Lee introducing John LaMarr and Scott Grimes introducing Gordon Malloy, see "SDCC 2017: The Orville - J Lee & Scott Grimes", ''Whedonopolis Videos (July 26, 2017). For executive producers Brannon Braga, David A. Goodman, and Jason Clark, see "SDCC 2017: The Orville - Brannon Braga, David Goodman, Jason Clark (Executive Producers)", Whedonopolis Videos (July 26, 2017). but they also made deliberate, tantalizing hints about the show: * MacFarlane revealed that a character named Bortus is the focal point in a social criticism of gender and sexual identity, the episode About a Girl. * Halston Sage (Alara Kitan) hinted slyly of the plot of Firestorm, saying audiences will learn that "not everything is as scary as it seems... or could be," followed by laughter.""Orville" Comic Con 2017 panel-like interview". Sromba. July 23, 2017. * Scott Grimes (Gordon Malloy) re-enacted a scene from Pria where Gordon's voice gets high pitched and strained due to nervousness, akin to Steve Smith from the show American Dad!"THE ORVILLE Seth MacFarlane, Adrianne Palicki, Scott Grimes, Halston Sage & Penny Jerald interview". bigfanboy. * J. Lee (John LaMarr) said that the episode most recently filmed, New Dimensions, would show John develop and mature as an individual."SDCC2017 The Orville Interview with Mark Jackson, J. Lee, and Scott Grimes". FanboyNation. July 26, 2017. MacFarlane told reporters that the goal of The Orville is to rediscover the joy of cinematic television while discovering something brand new each week. "We want a tale well told," said Brannon Braga. "Standalone episodes. A rarity nowadays, a novelty.""The Orville Producers Interview (Comic Con)". Showbiz Junkies. July 28, 2017. One reporter told the executive producers that the trailer clashed with the crews' descriptions of the show as a drama-laden: "The marketing conveys this is a comedy, guys." Braga replied that marketing just started and messaging would change; Goodman noted that it is easier to show snippets of comedy than drama."The Orville Producers Interview (Comic Con)". Showbiz Junkies. July 28, 2017. Television Critics Association presentation MacFarlane presented the first three episodes to a bevy of professional critics at the Television Critics Association.Keene, Allison. "‘The Orville’: Seth MacFarlane Dismisses ‘Star Trek’ Comparisons, Wants to Make Sci-Fi Fun Again". Collider. Aug. 5, 2017. "Each week you are seeing a little movie," he promised. As time drew near to the show's premiere, MacFarlane acknowledged he was growing nervous about the fans's reactions, but added that everyone has "a healthy degree of nerves with anything that you care about."Brooker, Heather. "EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH SETH MACFARLANE ON THE ORVILLE". Motherhood in Hollywood. Aug. 11, 2017. Lead-up to premiere By mid-August, cast and crew interviewed more frequently. Fox released promotional videos, and sponsored vloggers and YouTube personalities to visit the show behind the scenes and watch the pilot."MID LEVEL SPACE EXPLORATION feat. SETH MACFARLANE!!!". Harley Morenstein. Aug. 31, 2017. As the series premiere date of September 10 neared, understandably nervousness for the success of the show increased as well. "I don't know Fox will give The Orville a chance," MacFarlane answered a reporter's question. If we are in that middle area where we are still finding ourselves and there seems to be something great, but we just haven’t hit on it yet? Then I think that is the hardest area to be in because how hard do you fight. I am hoping that we come out of the box that we are so different than anything that is on TV today that we hit our stride on day one, but you never know.''Pascale, Anthony. "Interview: Seth MacFarlane Talks Mission Of ‘The Orville’ And Defends Star Trek: TNG’s Replicators". ''TrekMovie.com. Sept. 4, 2017. On September 9, he voiced his anxiety that what he wrote may be too lighthearted for modern audiences. "Does optimism still have meaning for people? It could feel outdated, like a nineteen-thirties musical that’s devoid of cynicism and is looking at the world through rose-colored glasses and is oblivious to what’s going on."Seth MacFarlane in "Seth MacFarlane Discusses “The Orville,” “Star Trek,” and the Struggle to Make Science Fiction Funny" by Manu Saadia. The New Yorker. Sept. 9, 2017. Series premiere The series premiere was a ratings success. Old Wounds debuted on a Sunday night to 8.56 million television viewers, a very high number and the strongest series premiere for Fox since Empire in 2015."The Orville:Season One Ratings". TVSeriesFinale.com. Last accessed Feb. 6, 2018. "It's really exciting," actress Halston Sage (Alara Kitan) said shortly after the numbers came in. "Just because we've been working on this show for so long. It's finally out there and people are liking it; it gives you butterflies.""Halston Sage Talks THE ORVILLE Season 1, Alara's Makeup & More | Interview". Shine on Media. Sept. 21, 2017. Science fiction fans and television audiences alike thoroughly enjoyed the premiere, although professional critics gave generally negative reviews. The marked disparity between critics and audiences quickly became a running theme for the rest of the series, and The Orville is now regarded as one of the most asymmetrically reviewed modern television programs. Awards Season 1 In addition to the list below, Fox unsuccessfully submitted the following to the Emmy Awards for nomination consideration: The Orville for best drama series; Seth MacFarlane for best actor; Adrianne Palicki and Penny Jerald Johnson for best supporting actress; Chad L. Coleman, Scott Grimes, and Peter Macon for best supporting actor; and Rob Lowe for best guest actor.Beachum, Chris. "Emmys 2018 exclusive: 20th Century Fox Television categories for ‘This Is Us,’ ‘Modern Family,’ ‘The Orville,’ ‘The Simpsons’ and more". GoldDerby. May 14, 2018. Trivia *MacFarlane and Adrianne Palicki (Kelly Grayson) have confirmed that alcoholic beverages on film were in fact really alcoholic, usually whiskey."Seth MacFarlane and Adrianne Palicki". The Talk. Nov. 30, 2017. *According to Peter Macon (Bortus), English is no longer used as a first language in the 25th century."SDCC2017 The Orville Interview with Peter Macon". FanboyNation. July 26, 2017. *The name of the show comes from David McCullough's portrayal of Orville Wright in his book ''The Wright Brothers, ''which MacFarlane was reading at the time he wrote the pilot script. See also * Orville timeline Notes References Category:The Orville Category:Television Series